Category: Butler Confessions

Top 10 Unforgettable Comic Moments from 2020-2024 in Star Wars Canon by Ryan and Chris, Part III

Posted on by Head Butler Ryan

It’s time for the FINAL FOUR of the Top 10 Unforgettable Comic Moments from 2020-2024, the series where Chris and I break down our favorite moments from the last 5 years of comic storytelling! In Part I we covered spots #10-8, which included everything from the High Republic’s villainous Marchion Ro to the surprising return of the Grand Inquisitor, and then Part II covered spots #7-5, which had everything from kyber crystals, Wookiee Jedi, and a whole lot of Sskeer and Keeve Trennis! So what’s in store for spots #4-1 in Part III?! Head below now to see everything from Doctor Aphra (of course), weddings, spectral battles, a certain character’s big return, and more grab the final spots! Continue reading “Top 10 Unforgettable Comic Moments from 2020-2024 in Star Wars Canon by Ryan and Chris, Part III” →

Top 10 Unforgettable Comic Moments from 2020-2024 in Star Wars Canon by Ryan and Chris, Part II

Posted on by Head Butler Ryan

Welcome back for Part II of the Top 10 Unforgettable Comic Moments from 2020-2024, as Chris and I break down our favorite moments from the last 5 years of comic storytelling! In Part I we covered spots #10-8, which included everything from the High Republic’s villainous Marchion Ro to the surprising return of the Grand Inquisitor, and now Part II reveals our #7-5 choices! Head below for kyber crystals, big reunions, and…finding home?! Afterwards, Part III is already out so find out what made the final four as well! Continue reading “Top 10 Unforgettable Comic Moments from 2020-2024 in Star Wars Canon by Ryan and Chris, Part II” →

Top 10 Unforgettable Comic Moments from 2020-2024 in Star Wars Canon by Ryan and Chris, Part I

Posted on by Head Butler Ryan

It’s still hard to believe it’ll be The Force Awakens‘ 10th Anniversary this year, but even more so that we’ve now had 10 years of canon stories across all different mediums, including comics! The comics have been the recipient of the Manor’s biggest focus for the past decade and we already summed up our feelings on the first five years with the initial Top 10 Unforgettable Comic Moments series for 2015-2019, so with another 5 years under all our belts, it was time to see what was so Unforgettable about this next half of the decade. Teaming up with the Manor’s Sous Chef and Legendary Adventures mastermind Chris once again, we both wrote our own separate Top 10 Unforgettable Comic Moments lists, this time for 2020-2024!

In today’s post below, you’ll find our individual #10-8 entries, while Part II has spots #7-5, while Part III showcases spots #4-1!! So without further ado, let’s dive into the Manor’s Top 10 Unforgettable Comic Moments from 2020-2024 Part I, by Chris and Ryan! Continue reading “Top 10 Unforgettable Comic Moments from 2020-2024 in Star Wars Canon by Ryan and Chris, Part I” →

When a Decade Old You Reach…Look As Good, You Will Not: 2024 Star Wars Comics Year-In-Review

Posted on by Head Butler Ryan

June 2024 was the Manor’s 10th Anniversary and January 2025 marks 10 years since Marvel began its run of canon comics and when I started covering them on the site, which both feels not too long ago and somewhat exhaustingly long ago. Compared to the previous 9 years, 2024 felt the most different in the sense it was clear Marvel was setting up to close out all its current runs and stories, while Dark Horse spent 2024 solely focused on carving out their own piece of the larger High Republic storyline, and 2025’s announcements by both publishers pointing to a wider variety of timeline approaches in an attempt to bring something different to the table. Between the ending of the current era of stories and the High Republic initiative set to end mid-2025, it certainly left me thinking about the Manor, its future, and my own goals and plans going forward. While we certainly won’t be closing the Manor’s doors anytime soon (thanks everyone for making 2024 our biggest year yet!), my coverage of the comics and various content will be changing going forward, with less per issue comic reviews and more focus on arc/miniseries reviews, though the door is open for you, dear reader, to join our ranks if you want, not only for comic reviews, but other coverage and opinion pieces too. I’m still very excited for the future of the comics and Star Wars in general, even if the film part of the Saga struggles to make the jump to hyperspace like it’s the Millennium Falcon, but I’m looking to take more time for my family and myself, sitting back a bit more to simply enjoy what’s to come instead of going full critique mode. So as the comics transition into their future, and so does the Manor, let’s look back at the state of Star Wars comics thanks to, for better and worse, 2024’s output.

— Spoilers for comics released in 2024 —

Continue reading “When a Decade Old You Reach…Look As Good, You Will Not: 2024 Star Wars Comics Year-In-Review” →

A Midwest Goodbye: 2023 Star Wars Comics Year-In-Review

Posted on by Head Butler Ryan

I’ve lived my entire life in Wisconsin, so I know a “Midwest Goodbye” when I see one, as I’ve been stuck in them far too often (in fact, I may be writing this while stuck in one, they take that long). This year I did my best to bring one to a close over Thanksgiving, edging slowly to the front door, my feet getting frozen along the way as new conversation engagements came my way, but I still got to the door handle and, over the period of 5 minutes, managed to get it open and finally bring the process to an end. For the era between The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi, 2023’s Star Wars comics felt like that moment in the hallway by the door, as it’s clear we can’t spend that much more time in this era, but even if you spoke for hours at the event with everyone, suddenly 100 new topics need to be discussed despite you holding all the leftovers your fridge can handle, getting stuffy with a warm winter jacket on while the heat’s cranked up to 74, leaving one to wonder when this event will ever come to a close despite standing at the exit. The era was spiced up with a healthy side of horror by the end of the year, and a few series’ endings were announced, but it still seems like there’s no hope for the exit door opening in 2024 despite another round of goodbyes, though the promise of Prequel-focused stories is a nice change of pace for 2024. 2023 wasn’t all about an era we’ve been in for years now, though those series had some of the most memorable scenes of the year, as the High Republic brought a divisive Phase to a close and blew minds with starting the next, Dark Horse’s anthology explored favorites of all eras, Star Wars: Visions comics kicked off with an artful treat, and characters from Sana Starros to Yoda took center stage in their own series. A Midwest Goodbye only starts because one is with family and friends and, as much as every person involved wants the night to end, you don’t go quietly into the night if you didn’t enjoy your time together. So without further ado, here’s the Star Wars Comics 2023 Year-in-Review!

— Spoilers for comics released in 2023 —

Continue reading “A Midwest Goodbye: 2023 Star Wars Comics Year-In-Review” →

“To Whom Do We Give Faces?” – An Analysis of “The Veteran” in FACPOV

Posted on by James

Spoilers for “The Veteran” Ahead

Over the past six years, From a Certain Point of View (FACPOV) has been an exercise in the margins. These anthologies were an opportunity to expand Lucasfilm’s author base and provide glimpses into the lives of characters who might only appear for a split second on-screen. New voices, new faces, brought to the forefront and given new interiority. Fandom has even made a game of trying to guess which characters would be so honored. An unexpected recipient of Return of the Jedi’s FACPOV was Dexter Jettster in Adam Lance Garcia’s “The Veteran.” Continue reading ““To Whom Do We Give Faces?” – An Analysis of “The Veteran” in FACPOV” →

The High Republic – Phase II: Quest of the Jedi Retrospective

Posted on by Chris

After a successful run, the decision was made not to pick up where the story left off, but rather dive further back, exploring how the galaxy got to where it was in the original story. To do so, George Lucas followed, much to fans’ chagrin initially, a young boy named Anakin Skywalker, preferring to go further back than many imagined to help tell a wider story of not only the fateful character’s life, but the machinations of those around him conspiring to the take over the galaxy, while still leaving a large chunk of time unexplored between trilogies. Prequels are nothing new to Star Wars, though that doesn’t mean it still wasn’t surprising to fans of The High Republic’s first Phase to find out Phase II: Quest of the Jedi, would actually jump a full 150 years backwards, leaving many fan favorites in the grips of the dreaded cliffhanger. With the second Phase all wrapped up, Chris and I (Ryan) explore its strengths and weaknesses like seasoned Pathfinders in our latest retrospective! Continue reading “The High Republic – Phase II: Quest of the Jedi Retrospective” →

Attack of the Crossovers: 2022 Star Wars Comics Year-In-Review

Posted on by Head Butler Ryan

2022 saw Star Wars comics commit to the bit of a truly interconnected era, as Qi’ra’s schemes permeated everything set in the same timeframe, to various results, both making the case for and against more highly interlinked on-goings. With different miniseries and one-shots, along with Dark Horse’s return to the fold, plus the end and beginning of different Phases for The High Republic initiative, the comics managed to find other eras and stories to tell for fans looking for something else. But as it doubled down on more stories to intertwine, did 2022 have enough to offer to keep fans eager for more or cautious about what’s next? The answer is up to the reader, but below in my 2022 Star Wars comics year-in-review you’ll find a fair discussion of what’s worked and what’s not regarding such grand schemes, hopes for how it can proceed, and plenty of excellent reminders of why fans come back to panels year after year: Qi’ra telling the galaxy to choke on her hidden empire, Doctor Aphra possessed by an ancient AI, T’onga and Losha pivoting their purpose, the High Republic diving 150 years more into a past meant to enlighten what’s already out and what’s ahead, the Rancor Pit hosting new frightening tales to huddle around a flashlight in the dark with, Obi-Wan regaling adventures in his journal is more exciting than that sounds, and so much more. Head on below for the 2022 Star Wars comics year-in-review now!

— Spoilers for comics released in 2022 — Continue reading “Attack of the Crossovers: 2022 Star Wars Comics Year-In-Review” →

The High Republic – Phase I: Light of the Jedi Retrospective

Posted on by Chris

After a year of waiting, the secretive Project Luminous was revealed as The High Republic, a giant publishing initiative which would span different mediums and tell one big, connected story set some 200 years before The Phantom Menace. Even after a delay due to COVID-19, the hype for the era was real, and its opening salvo brought the new era to vivid and exciting life, fulfilling the promise of something new and different. By the end of Phase 1, almost a year and a half later, fan reaction could best be summed up to how the luminous codename for The High Republic turned into a loving nickname for the authors, and even in the months since it closed in March 2022, it’s clear the era has sparked its own part of the fanbase, filling up a Celebration panel about the upcoming Phase II even. Before the next Phase of the era starts, Chris and I (with some help from other fans), decided to look back at the initiative so far and the opening Phase, digging into what we enjoyed, had issues with, and found could be improved as the era continues, so head below for our big retrospective! Continue reading “The High Republic – Phase I: Light of the Jedi Retrospective” →

Obi-Wan Kenobi and the Golden Rule

Posted on by Head Butler Ryan

Editor’s Note: Since we are a Manor, we’ve been known to hosts Guests from time to time. Our latest visitor, C.W. McClain, offers his views and opinions on “show, don’t tell” moments from the Saga and the Obi-Wan Kenobi show! If you’d like to be a Guest, visit our submission page on how to start the process!

That moment in A New Hope when Luke Skywalker finds the burnt remains of his family and their moisture farm was painful to watch. Seeing the utter devastation wrought by the Empire upon an innocent family brought home a bitter reality: the Empire is ruthless and savage. This is a “show, don’t tell” moment. Beforehand, nobody bad-mouthed the Empire. Nobody talked about how bad they were. The audience is shown and that makes it all the more real. That, in turn, means we can connect with it better. It’s one thing to be told about a character or concept in a story. It is another thing entirely to experience it. Continue reading “Obi-Wan Kenobi and the Golden Rule” →